Speer (pictured with Hitler) spent 20 years in Spandau Prison for war crimes - not Spandau Ballet, as a BBC presenter has suggested

A BBC radio announcer has apologised after accidentally saying that Nazi architect Albert Speer spent 20 years in the 1980's new romantic band Spandau Ballet, instead of Spandau Prison.

Speer, Hitler's arms minister, served a 20-year sentence for war crimes at the west Berlin prison after he was sentenced at the Nuremberg trials.

The BBC Radio 4 announcer - believed to be Diana Speed - immediately apologised for the gaffe, but it had already provoked much derision online from Twitter users and from media bloggers.

HaveIGotNewsForYou ‏tweeted: 'A Radio 4 announcer has told listeners that "Albert Speer spent 20 years in Spandau Ballet", which would have been punishment enough'

'The nice announcer lady on Radio 4 just said that Albert Speer was in Spandau Ballet. That can't be right.' tweeted Ben Goldacre.

Michael Guitar posted: 'Apparently Albert Speer spent 20 years in Spandau Ballet according to Radio 4. It's not 'True' but it IS pure 'Gold'.'

Newsreader and Radio 4 announcer
Corrie Corfield was quick to clarify the mistake was not made by her, announcing: 'No it was not me Twitter. I am not back until
next Tuesday, which, by the sound of things is not a moment too soon
#spandauballet'

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The on-air slip of the tongue this afternoon also led to Gary Kemp's new romantics trending on Twitter.

Listen to the blooper below

Spandau Ballet - John Keeble, Steve Norman, Tony Hadley and Gary and Martin Kemp - were trending on Twitter this afternoon thanks to the mistake

Speer, Hitler's arms minister, served a 20-year sentence for war crimes at the west Berlin prison after he was sentenced at the Nuremberg trials

The blunder was made as the presenter introduced Radio 4's Albert Speer's
Walk Around the World, Michael Butt's play about the imaginary journeys
of Speer during his time in prison.

'At 2.15, Patrick Malahide stars as Albert Speer, or Prisoner Number Five as he was known throughout his 20 years in Spandau Ballet,' listeners were told as World at One drew to a close.

It was followed by the instant correction: 'In Spandau Prison, rather.'

A BBC spokesman said: 'It was just a slip of the tongue and corrected on air right away.'

Spandau Prison was situated in the borough of Spandau in western Berlin.

It was built in 1876 and knocked down in 1987 after the death of the last prisoner it held, Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess - who is said to have hanged himself there - to prevent it from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine.

Spandau Ballet were formed in the late 1970s.

They are believed to have chosen the name 'Spandau Ballet' after seeing it scrawled on the wall of a nightclub toilet during a visit to Berlin.

The term is thought to refer to the many prisoners who hanged at Spandau - and whose bodies 'twitched and jumped on the end of a rope' as if dancing.